Semiconductor devices such as integrated circuit chips need to be precisely fabricated since exact precision is required to insure that such devices have an exact predetermined geometry. Although such fabrication produces high quality results, defective devices are fabricated that have geometry variations in coplanarity, span and sweep as well as mark defects in content, legibility, contrast, orientation and quality, which are outside tolerances for acceptable devices. Accordingly, inspection of the devices is necessary to ascertain whether the devices meet exacting acceptance standards. The inspection stages generally include both camera and laser inspections.
The semiconductor devices to be inspected are typically provided in compartmented trays which have multiple rows and columns of pockets into which the devices are placed. Trays typically hold between 50 and 100 devices, and the trays are often configured to be stackable.
Machines of the type to which this invention relates have been used in the past. In that regard it has been proposed to cycle a tray loaded with semiconductors from an input module through intervening inspection modules and a pick-and-place module to an outfeed module, and to achieve an inversion of the semiconductors between the inspection modules. A desire in connection with such machines is ongoing to increase the speed and reliability of processing the semiconductors and to do so without complicating the structure or system.
Accordingly, among the objects of this invention are to improve the speed and reliability of the inspection and/or otherwise processing of such semiconductors and to do so without complicating either the machine's structure or the process.